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Jan 1, 1215
Magna Carta
King John of England and the barons of midieval England signed it in England to limit the power of the monarch and preserve the basic legal rights of all free men. -
Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was a social contract between the Pilgrims coming to America that pledged their allegiance to the king for the sake of their survival. -
Petition of Rights
The Petition of Rights is a major English constitutional document that sets out specific liberties of the subject that the king is prohibited from infringing, like non-Parliamentary taxation, forced billeting of soldiers, imprisonment without cause. It was signed and put into place by King Charles. -
English Bill Of Rights
The English Bill of Rights;The English Bill of Rights was signed by King William III and Queen Mary II. It was created to give citizens freedom of petition, freedom of speech, no cruel and unusual punishment, and freedom of the people to have arms. -
Albany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin proposed this plan in order to create a unified government for the Thirteen Colonies. It was never put into action because colonial assemblies and British representatives rejected it. The photo shown is a popular political cartoonassociated with this plan. -
French and Indian War
William Pitt lead the british in the French and Indian War, the Frech commander was Marquis de Montcalm. The French and indians were allies against the British and American colonies. In 1758 the British won their first battle at Louisburg then took Fort Frontenac a month later. At a battle at Montreal in 1760 the Frech lost Canada. The British won and got Canada and Florida. The war caused Britain to tax the American colonies more which was a big part of the colonies revolting. -
King George III takes power
When King George took power he enforced stricter laws upon America. As a result of the war, much more territory was gained, therefore expanding the colonies. This war also put financial strain on England which led England to enforce their stricter government upon the Colonies. -
Stamp Act
The items that were taxed as a result of this Act were legal documents, licenses, newspapers, pamphlets, playing cards, and contracts. The colonists were not happy with this act. They boycotted all British goods and attempted to get representation in Parliament. -
Boston Massacre
When colonists started throwing things and yelling at the British soldiers the soldiers opened fire on the people. Five men were killed during the massacre and six other people were injured. People were also angry about the Townshend acts which were put in place to tax the colonists without their approval, or representation. -
Boston Tea Party
The Sons of Liberty in boston organized this event in order to protest the tax on tea in the colonies. The British then closed the port of Boston in result of the protest. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were passed by King George III in retaliation of the Boston Tea Party. This closed Boston Harbor to all ships except for those sent from Britain. Also, the Quartering Act forced the colonists to feed and house British troops in their homes. Furthermore, the Administration of Justice Act stated that British Officials could not be tried in colonial courts. The British Governor was also in charge of all future town meetings in Boston. Also, the U.S. border was shrunken down. -
First Continental Congress
The meeting took place In Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia. The president of the convention was Peyton Randolph with George Washington, Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, Richard Bland, Benjamin Harrison, and Edmund Pendleton. It proposed a plan called A Plan of Union that elected a Grand Council like the Parliament in England. -
Lexington and Concord
Video!This was the start of the American Revolution. The two major leaders were Leading the British troops was Colonel Smith, Major Pitcairne, and Lord Percy. Paul Revere is famous for riding in the night from town to town warning the minute men that the british were coming. -
Second Continental Congress
the second continental congress took place in Philadelphia, PA in the year 1775. this was where the general ideas for an independent nation came from and where the declaration of independence get its start. -
Declaration of Independence
Click Me!The Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the 13 American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. -
Article of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the 13 founding states that established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution. the first president to serve under the article wsa john hanson. -
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constitutional convention
also known as the Philadelphia Convention, it was to address problems in governing the United States of America, which had been operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from Great Britain.
